Apparel Having Either One or Multiple Receptacles

ABSTRACT

The invention provides an undergarment for carrying a concealed weapon such as a handgun. The undergarment includes one or more built-in pockets. The openings of the pockets are aligned with the waistband of the undergarment so that the waistband securely holds the weapon against the wearer&#39;s body while the weapon is in the pocket. The pockets are positioned along the waistband in convenient locations for concealing a weapon, such as the lower back, the left or right hip, or the left or right front groin area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/011,200, filed Jun. 12, 2014, the contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Personal defense is a major concern in the United States. In 2012, forexample, there were nearly 15,000 murders nationwide. Many peopletherefore desire to carry a weapon on their person for self-defense orother purposes. “Concealed carry” is the practice of carrying a weaponon one's person in a concealed manner. Most states require a permit tocarry a concealed weapon such as a handgun. But over the past threedecades, it has become increasingly easy to obtain concealed carrypermits. Today the vast majority of states have “shall-issue” laws,meaning that if a person meets the minimum qualifications for aconcealed carry permit, the state has little to no discretion as towhether to issue the permit. That shift in law has created a largeincrease in demand for personal protection devices such as handguns.

Despite the increased availability of concealed carry permits, manypeople still find it difficult or uncomfortable to carry a weapon ontheir person. That is because most holsters available today havesignificant shortcomings. The main concerns in holster design aresecurity, access, and concealment. Security means tightly holding thehandgun in place so that it is not at risk of falling out while thewearer is running or making a sudden movement. Access means the easewith which the wearer can remove (or “draw”) the handgun. Concealmentmeans hiding the weapon from view and ensuring that it does not bulgethrough clothing.

Many holsters that emphasize security have significant drawbacks inaccess, because the weapon is difficult to remove from the holster.Likewise, holsters that emphasize access may be less secure and alsoless concealed. A holster that emphasizes concealment may be difficultto access when an emergency arises. Additionally, bulky holsters can beuncomfortable or cumbersome for the user. Due to these complications inholster design, many potential users of personal protection devices arecurrently thwarted in their desire to carry a concealed weapon.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an improved undergarment for comfortablyand securely carrying a concealed weapon such as a handgun. Theinvention provides fitted pants, shorts, or Capri-style undergarmentthat has one or more built-in holster pockets. The openings of thepockets are aligned with the waistband of the undergarment so that thewaistband securely holds the weapon against the wearer's body while theweapon is in the pocket. The pockets are positioned along the waistbandin convenient locations for concealing a weapon, such as the lower back,the left or right hip, or the left or right front groin area. Theundergarment may include several pockets so that a wearer can choosewhich pocket is most convenient at a given time. The undergarment can bemade of a stretchy or form-fitting material to provide support for thewearer and for the weapon.

The invention makes carrying a concealed weapon more comfortable andconvenient. The pockets are designed to securely hold the weapon inplace, while also providing improved access for the user. Thepositioning of the pockets provide enhanced concealment of a weapon, andbecause the user can choose from among the several available pockets,the user can select the pocket that is most concealed or most useful forhis or her particular purpose. For example, the user may choose to carryhis or her weapon in a different pocket based on the outer-garments heor she is wearing at the time. The user can also switch pocketsthroughout the day for comfort reasons, as desired. The multiple pocketsof the invention make it possible to carry more than one concealedweapons at the same time.

In certain aspects, the invention provides an undergarment for carryinga concealed weapon. The undergarment includes a layer of fabric definingshorts having a waist opening and two leg openings. The undergarmentalso includes a waistband connected to the layer of fabriccircumferentially around the waist opening, wherein the waistband isconfigured to fasten the layer of fabric around the waist of a wearer.Also included is at least a first holster panel connected to an insideportion of the waistband to form a pocket, the pocket configured tosupport a handgun in a position wherein a grip of the handgun extendsabove the waistband to allow the wearer to manually grasp and withdrawthe handgun from the pocket. The undergarment further includes a secondholster panel connected to the inside portion of the waistband to form asecond pocket substantially similar to the first pocket. The first andsecond pockets are located on different parts of the waistband such thateach can support a handgun without the two handguns physicallycontacting each other.

In embodiments, the first pocket is located adjacent to a dorsal side ofthe shorts, such that the first pocket is configured to support thehandgun against the wearer's back. In other embodiments, the secondpocket is located adjacent to a left or right side of the shorts, suchthat the second pocket is configured to support the handgun against thewearer's hip. The undergarment may comprise a third pocket substantiallysimilar to the first and second pockets except located on a differentpart of the waistband than the other pockets. The third pocket may belocated adjacent to a front side of the shorts, such that the thirdpocket is configured to support the handgun adjacent to the wearer'sgroin. In certain embodiments, the undergarment includes more than threepockets, such as four, five, or more pockets.

In some embodiments, the pockets are configured to support a handgun atan angle of inclination allowing the wearer to rapidly remove thehandgun from the pocket. In some embodiments, the holster panelscomprise a material configured to shield electronic signals from passingtherethrough, such as a Faraday cage.

In certain embodiments the undergarment comprises an elastic or othersimilar form-fitting material to provide support to the pockets.

In related aspects, the invention provides a method for carrying andconcealing a weapon. The method involves providing an undergarment,including any of the undergarments described herein. The undergarmentcomprises at least a layer of fabric defining shorts having a waistopening and two leg openings. A waistband is connected to the layer offabric circumferentially around the waist opening and configured tofasten the layer of fabric around the waist of a wearer. Theundergarment further includes a first holster panel connected to aninside portion of the waistband to form a pocket, the pocket configuredto support a handgun in a position wherein a grip of the handgun extendsabove the waistband to allow the wearer to manually grasp and withdrawthe handgun from the pocket. The undergarment also includes a secondholster panel connected to the inside portion of the waistband to form asecond pocket substantially similar to the first pocket, wherein thefirst and second pockets are located on different parts of the waistbandsuch that each can support a handgun without the two handguns physicallycontacting each other. The method further comprises wearing or donningthe undergarment. The method further involves inserting a weapon intoone of the pockets.

In certain embodiments the method further involves inserting a secondweapon into another pocket of the undergarment. The method may involvewearing other clothing over the undergarment to more fully conceal theweapon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an undergarment including pockets.

FIG. 2 shows a close up view of one of the pockets.

FIG. 3 shows an undergarment configured to hold a weapon against theuser's hip.

FIG. 4 shows an undergarment configured to hold a weapon against theuser's back.

FIG. 5 shows a method for carrying and concealing a weapon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides improved garments for carrying andconcealing one or more weapons. The invention provides an undergarmentconfigured with one or more pockets situated near the waistband. Thepockets are designed to hold a weapon such as a handgun, and thewaistband secures the weapon against the body of the user. The inventionis particularly useful for law enforcement or military personnel who mayrequire access to multiple concealed weapons. It is further useful forcivilians who desire to comfortably and reliably carry a concealedweapon on their person for personal security.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of an undergarment 101 of the presentinvention. The undergarment 101 includes a layer of fabric 31 sewn orotherwise shaped into a pants (or shorts) shape. The fabric 31 defines awaist opening 41 and leg openings 43 and 45. A waistband 65 disposedcircumferentially about the waist opening 41. The waistband 65 cancomprise any stretchy resilient material known in the art, includingnylon, lycra, rayon, polyester, and the like. The waistband 65 can beabout 1 inch in height, up to 6 or more inches in height. Differentheight waistbands may accommodate different size weapons to be securedin the pockets, described in greater detail below. The waistband 65 isconfigured to tightly grip the body of the wearer to keep theundergarment 101 in place. Due to the stretchiness of the waistbandmaterial, the waistband 65 is further configured to tightly secure aweapon such as a handgun against the body of the wearer.

The undergarment includes several pockets 71, 73, 75, 77, and 79 forholding one or more concealed weapons. Pocket 79 is located on the backportion of the undergarment 101, where it is configured to hold a weaponagainst the lower back, adjacent to the sacrum. The pocket 79 comprisesa panel of fabric sewn or otherwise secured to the layer of fabric 31.The pocket 79 is disposed on the inside of the undergarment, with anopening 81 adjacent to the waistband 65. In the embodiment shown, thepocket 79 includes a length of material 69 along the opening 81, whichmay be the same material as the waistband 65, and which helps to securea weapon in place within pocket 79. The pocket 79 can be any shape. Itcan be substantially square, rectangular, triangular, etc. The pocket 79can be oblong to accommodate the barrel of a gun. In certain embodimentsit can be holster-shaped to accommodate the barrel and trigger guard ofa gun. The pocket 79 can take the shape of any holster or holster-shapedpocket known in the art, including those described in greater detail inthe following U.S. Patents and Publications: US 2013/0269086; US2007/0250980; U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,834; U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,671; and U.S.Pat. No. 3,731,858; each of which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

The other pockets 71, 73, 75, and 77 are substantially similar to pocket79, except that they are located in different parts of the garment 101.Pockets 71 and 77 are located in the right and left hip area of thewearer. And pockets 73 and 75 are located in the right and left groinarea of the wearer. As with pocket 79, they can have any shapeconvenient for containing a concealed weapon. The invention includesundergarments containing one pocket, multiple pockets, or all of thepockets shown, and all combinations thereof. In embodiments of theundergarment 101 that comprise more than one pocket, the pockets mayhave the same shape to be configured to secure the same type of weapon,or they may be differently shaped to allow multiple different weapons tobe contained at once.

In all embodiments, the pockets are configured to contain and secure aweapon such as a gun. When the undergarment is in use (i.e., when it isbeing worn by a user), a weapon may be inserted into one of the pockets,for example pocket 79.

In some embodiments, one or more pockets can be shaped and sized to holda weapon that is not a gun, such as a knife. The pockets can bealternatively configured for common law-enforcement weapons such as abaton, nightstick, taser, mace, or pepper spray.

FIG. 2 shows a close up view of pocket 79 in containing a fun 44. In theembodiment shown, pocket 79 is holster-shaped to accommodate the shapeof gun 44. The holster-shaped configuration is shown as an example andis not meant to be limiting in any way. In some embodiments where it ispreferable for the gun 44 to sit higher on the waistband 65, the pocketmay be shaped to only accept the barrel 97 of the gun 44, such that thetrigger guard 95 is exposed above the waistband 65. In anotherconfiguration, the waistband 65 contacts the gun 44 across the area ofthe trigger guard 95. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the pocket 79is sized and shaped such that the grip of the gun 44 remains exposed andoutside of the undergarment, while the barrel 97 and trigger guard 95are concealed. A skilled artisan would recognize the innumerableconfigurations for the pocket 79 to accommodate all different shapes andsizes of guns and other weapons. In all configurations, when the gun 44is in the pocket 79 the waistband 65 contacts the gun 44 and securelyholds it against the body of the wearer (not shown).

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the undergarment 101 in use. In FIG. 3,gun 44 is located in a hip pocket (not visible). The hip pocket may bethe equivalent of pocket 77 shown in FIG. 1. Waistband 65 tightly holdsgun 44 against the body of the wearer when gun 44 is in the pocket.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the undergarment 101 in use with a gun 44secured in a dorsal pocket (not visible). The pocket may be configuredsimilarly to pocket 79 shown in FIGS. 1-2. Once again, waistband 65secures the gun 44 in place. In all embodiments, the configuration ofthe pocket allows the weapon to be firmly held in place and alsoconveniently located so that the user can draw the weapon when desired.

FIG. 5 shows a method for carrying and concealing a weapon, inaccordance with the present invention. The method involves providing 505an undergarment for carrying a concealed weapon. Any of the embodimentsof the undergarment described in the present disclosure can be used withthe method. The method further involves wearing 509 the undergarment.The method further involves inserting 513 a weapon into a pocket of theundergarment.

While methods, devices, compositions, and the like, have been describedin terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical andpreferred implementations, it is to be understood that the disclosureneed not be limited to the disclosed implementations. It is intended tocover various modifications and similar arrangements included within thespirit and scope of the claims, the scope of which should be accordedthe broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modificationsand similar structures. The present disclosure includes any and allimplementations of the following claims. It is understood that the term,present disclosure, in the context of a description of a component,characteristic, or step, of one particular embodiment of the disclosure,does not imply or mean that all embodiments of the disclosure comprisethat particular component, characteristic, or step.

It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be madewithout departing from the essence of the disclosure. Such changes arealso implicitly included in the description. They still fall within thescope of this disclosure. It should be understood that this disclosureis intended to yield a patent covering numerous aspects of thedisclosure both independently and as an overall system and in bothmethod and apparatus modes.

Further, each of the various elements of the disclosure and claims mayalso be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should beunderstood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of animplementation of any apparatus implementation, a method or processimplementation, or even merely a variation of any element of these.

Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates toelements of the disclosure, the words for each element may be expressedby equivalent apparatus terms or method terms—even if only the functionor result is the same.

Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should beconsidered to be encompassed in the description of each element oraction. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit theimplicitly broad coverage to which this disclosure is entitled.

It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means fortaking that action or as an element which causes that action.

Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood toencompass a disclosure of the action which that physical elementfacilitates.

Any patents, publications, or other references mentioned in thisapplication for patent are hereby incorporated by reference.

Finally, all referenced listed in the Information Disclosure Statementor other information statement filed with the application are herebyappended and hereby incorporated by reference; however, as to each ofthe above, to the extent that such information or statementsincorporated by reference might be considered inconsistent with thepatenting of this/these disclosure(s), such statements are expressly notto be considered as made by the applicant(s).

In this regard it should be understood that for practical reasons and soas to avoid adding potentially hundreds of claims, the applicant haspresented claims with initial dependencies only.

Support should be understood to exist to the degree required under newmatter laws—including but not limited to United States Patent Law 35 USC§132 or other such laws—to permit the addition of any of the variousdependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim orconcept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim orconcept.

To the extent that insubstantial substitutes are made, to the extentthat the applicant did not in fact draft any claim so as to literallyencompass any particular implementation, and to the extent otherwiseapplicable, the applicant should not be understood to have in any wayintended to or actually relinquished such coverage as the applicantsimply may not have been able to anticipate all eventualities; oneskilled in the art, should not be reasonably expected to have drafted aclaim that would have literally encompassed such alternativeimplementations.

Further, the use of the transitional phrase “comprising” is used tomaintain the “open-end” claims herein, according to traditional claiminterpretation. Thus, unless the context requires otherwise, it shouldbe understood that the term “compromise” or variations such as“comprises” or “comprising”, are intended to imply the inclusion of astated element or step or group of elements or steps but not theexclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps.Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive forms so as toafford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible.

What is claimed is:
 1. An undergarment for carrying a concealed weapon,the undergarment comprising: a layer of fabric defining shorts having awaist opening and two leg openings; a waistband connected to the layerof fabric circumferentially around the waist opening and configured tofasten the layer of fabric around the waist of a wearer; a first holsterpanel connected to an inside portion of the waistband to form a pocket,the pocket configured to support a handgun in a position wherein a gripof the handgun extends above the waistband to allow the wearer tomanually grasp and withdraw the handgun from the pocket; and a secondholster panel connected to the inside portion of the waistband to form asecond pocket substantially similar to the first pocket, wherein thefirst and second pockets are located on different parts of the waistbandsuch that each can support a handgun without the two handguns physicallycontacting each other.
 2. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the firstpocket is located adjacent to a dorsal side of the shorts, such that thefirst pocket is configured to support the handgun against the wearer'sback.
 3. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the second pocket islocated adjacent to a left or right side of the shorts, such that thesecond pocket is configured to support the handgun against the wearer'ship.
 4. The undergarment of claim 1, further comprising a third pocketsubstantially similar to the first and second pockets except located ona different part of the waistband than the other pockets.
 5. Theundergarment of claim 4, wherein the third pocket is located adjacent toa front side of the shorts, such that the third pocket is configured tosupport the handgun adjacent to the wearer's groin.
 6. The undergarmentof claim 1, further comprising four or more pockets.
 7. The undergarmentof claim 1, wherein the pockets are configured to support the handgun atan angle of inclination allowing the wearer to rapidly remove thehandgun from the pocket.
 8. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein theholster panels comprise a material configured to shield electronicsignals from passing therethrough.
 9. The undergarment of claim 8,wherein the holster panels comprise a Faraday cage.
 10. The undergarmentof claim 1, wherein the shorts comprise an elastic form-fitting materialto provide support to the pockets.
 11. A method for carrying andconcealing a weapon, the method comprising: providing an undergarmentcomprising a layer of fabric defining shorts having a waist opening andtwo leg openings; a waistband connected to the layer of fabriccircumferentially around the waist opening and configured to fasten thelayer of fabric around the waist of a wearer; a first holster panelconnected to an inside portion of the waistband to form a pocket, thepocket configured to support a handgun in a position wherein a grip ofthe handgun extends above the waistband to allow the wearer to manuallygrasp and withdraw the handgun from the pocket; and a second holsterpanel connected to the inside portion of the waistband to form a secondpocket substantially similar to the first pocket, wherein the first andsecond pockets are located on different parts of the waistband such thateach can support a handgun without the two handguns physicallycontacting each other; wearing the undergarment; and inserting a weaponinto one of the pockets.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprisinginserting a second weapon into the other pocket.